1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to file marking devices, and more particularly to a file flagging device, having a flag thereon that can be operated between a conspicuous position and an inconspicuous position, said flag having a sleeve for carrying a removable and customizable tab as an additional indicating indicia.
2. Background and Description of Prior Art
Folders, for holding files and papers are a necessity in offices and businesses. File folders are commonly formed of folded paperboard having pre-determined areas for attaching labels or other identifying indicia and are useful for storing paper and related articles in an orderly manner in drawers of file cabinets, desks and the like.
Many variations of the file folder are known, including manila folders, file pockets, expanding files, file wallets, and the like.
It is known to use hanging folders to receive file folders, loose papers, and the like for storage and organization. Hanging folders are made for use in drawers of storage units such as file cabinets, desks and the like. Hanging folders are commonly formed of a sheet of paperboard with at least one horizontal fold that forms the folder's bottom. The sides of the hanging folder may remain open. Folded over sleeves are provided in top edge portions of the hanging folders through which hanging rods are affixed. End portions of the hanging rods extend beyond lateral edges of the file folders and are exposed and notched at a bottom portion, enabling the hanging folders to hang upon file frames in office storage equipment, such as filing cabinets and desk drawers. A portion of the hanging folder near its top edges opposite the bottom horizontal fold may also define a series of spaced apart, parallel slots to receive and hold “arm” portions of generally transparent label holders. By insertion of the “arm” portions into the spaced apart parallel slots, the label holder is held in a reasonably secure mounted relationship upon the hanging folder. Labels may be written or typed upon, and sometimes folded, and then placed within the label holders to indicate the topic of the contents of the hanging folder to which the label holder is attached.
Files and hanging folders are often stored together with the opening oriented upwardly for easy retrieval of the contents. For example, file drawers are commonly equipped with support frames to hold a plurality of hanging folders which are often suspended in a specific order, for example alphabetically. Many times a single hanging folder will carry plural file folders which may or may not be related to one another—for example multiple individual file folders for a single client, or multiple individual file folders each for a different client.
It is common for people to collect a large number of file folders and to store the file folders in hanging folders. Some or all of the files and folders may be labeled. Unfortunately, a large collection of any file/folder type makes it difficult to identify or pick out certain files that are in need of attention at different times. Thus, a common technique is to make a separate list of files needing user attention. This requires added time and is a task that can easily be forgotten especially when multiple files need user attention.
One drawback to the use of existing file folders is the relatively time-consuming activity of replacing such folders once they are removed from a file drawer or other storage unit. Once the user removes a file from a predetermined location among other files, it requires time and effort to find the specific location the file came from when returning the file to the drawer. Since usually all of the hanging folders have a similar appearance, the user must closely inspect the identifying indicia, if any, written or carried upon each file folder and each hanging folder in the vicinity of the series of folders from which the removed file was taken. This activity takes time and can be frustrating. Additionally, there is a substantial risk that the removed file will be replaced in the wrong location, adding to further delays the next time the file or folder is needed. Further, if a person is looking for a particular file in the file cabinet, and the file is not present, that person may not know if the file has been removed, by whom the file was removed, or perhaps whether or not the file has even yet to be created. In such instances, the person looking for the file may be forced to visit multiple offices and multiple people to locate the sought after file, or in the circumstance of new files may create a duplicate file. Further, even if an indicator left in the file or folder indicates that the file has been removed, the indicator usually does not provide the person seeking the file with any information such as who removed the file or where the file might be located.
Various methods and apparatus are known to mark the position of a file removed from a set of files or folders. For example, one such method is to place a self-stick note (a Post-It®) on an adjacent file or folder to mark the location. Unfortunately, such self-stick notes often fall off. There are also tabs, tags, clips, and flags that may be used to identify a file or folder, its location or where it was originally located, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,883,460 to Weisenfeld for a File Marking Device issued Apr. 26, 2005 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,610,707 to Payne for Combined File Flagging Devices and Label Holders issued Nov. 3, 2009. U.S. Pat. No. 7,610,707 to Payne is expressly incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. None of these known methods or apparatus resolves all the known drawbacks nor satisfies the continuing needs of users of file folders and users of hanging folders.
There remains a need for a file flagging device that identifies files when stored in a filing array. There also remains a need for an improved file folder-flagging device having an operable flag that can be moved between an attention getting position and an unobservable position.
Further, there is a need for a file flagging device that provides a means of communicating information to a person finding an empty “flagged” location regarding who has the missing file or folder and where the file/folder may be located.
What is needed is a multiple indicia file flagging device that flags the file folder to provide a visible indication that the contents of the file folder have been removed. Further, the improved file flagging system should communicate information to a seeker of the file where the file/folder/contents may be located and perhaps the person who removed the contents of the file, by means of other additional information providing indicia.
My invention is an improvement over known apparatus and methods and resolves various of these aforementioned problems by providing a multiple indicia file flagging device having a pivoting flag attached to a file or hanging folder that may be locked in a conspicuous orientation to indicate that the file or folder contents have been removed. Further, my multiple indicia file flagging device includes additional indicating indicia comprising a transparent sleeve releasably carrying a removable and customizable secondary indicator tab. The secondary indicator tab has a color, pattern, RFID, or other information that will provide a user with additional information such as where to locate the file contents, and/or whom to speak with regarding the removed file and/or the file's contents.
Some or all of the drawbacks and problems explained above, and other drawbacks and problems, may be helped or solved by my invention shown and described herein. My invention may also be used to address other problems not set out herein or which become apparent at a later time. The future may also bring to light unknown benefits that may, in the future, be appreciated from the novel invention shown and described herein.
My invention does not reside in any one of the identified features individually, but rather in the synergistic combination of all of its structures, which give rise to the functions necessarily flowing therefrom as hereinafter specified and claimed.